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Several years ago, omega-3 fatty acids were shown to prevent retinopathy in a mouse model of the disease: Mice fed omega-3-rich diets had nearly 50 percent less pathologic blood vessel growth in the retina.
Now, Children's ophthalmologist Lois E. H. Smith, MD, PhD, and colleagues have isolated the ultimate source of this protection—the omega-3 metabolite 4-HDHA and the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme that produces it—and shown that the protection is double-pronged. Omega-3s not only reduce inflammation, they also have a direct effect on angiogenesis that selectively promotes growth of healthy retinal blood vessels and inhibits growth of pathologic vessels.
The study also provides reassurance that aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs don't negate these benefits. It even suggests that omega-3s may be beneficial in diabetes: 5-lipoxygenase acts by activating the PPAR-gamma receptor, the same receptor targeted by "glitazone" drugs.
Omega-3s are highly concentrated in the retina, and premature infants are often deficient in them, predisposing them to retinopathy. Dr. Smith is collaborating with a Swedish group that is testing omega-3 fatty acids in premature infants. If results are promising, she will seek FDA approval to conduct a similar clinical trial at Children's. |
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